성경 주석서

« To the chief Musician, A Psalm [or] Song of David. » Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

A Psalm or Song of David — Made at that time when, having overcome his enemies, he brought arcam in arcem, the ark of God into the tower of Sion. Confer Psalms 68:1 with Numbers 10:35 . Herein also he treateth of the greatest secrets of Christ’s kingdom, and prophesieth of things to come, as Acts 2:30-31 ; witness the apostle, Ephesians 4:8 .

Let God arise — He need do no more that his enemies may be scattered, though never so closely united, etiamsi cataphraetus incedat Satan, as Luther speaketh; digitum suum tantum moveat, et dissipabuntur hostes, Let the Lord but stir his finger only, let him but look unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire, and they shall be troubled, as Exodus 14:24 , funduntur et fugantur cum primum se exserit Deus, as those Philistines, 2 Samuel 5:17-25

Let them also that hate him flee before him — Athanasius telleth us that evil spirits may be put to flight by this psalm; and that Antony, the hermit, fought against the devil with this verse, and worsted him. This may be done also as well with other texts of Scripture. Luther encountered the devil with that sentence, Thou hast put all things under his feet (Colloq. Mens.); another Dutch divine with this, The Son of God came to dissolve the works of the devil; a third with those words, The seed of the woman shall break the serpent’s head (Cramerus). As the rocks repel the boisterous waves - conantia frangere, frangunt; so doth Christ, the Rock (the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, Daniel 2:45 ), all his Church’s enemies.

return to '

As smoke is driven away, [so] drive [them] away: as wax melteth before the fire, [so] let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

As smoke is driven away, … — Smoke at first sight seemeth formidable, but soon vanisheth; and the higher it ascendeth the sooner it is dissipated: so here. Guicciardine saith of Charles VIII of France, that he came into the field like thunder and lightning, but went out like a snuff; more than a man at first, and less than a woman at last. A semblably of God’s enemies.

As wax melteth before the fire, … — Wax is a more solid substance than smoke, but, held to the fire, it quickly dissolveth. The psalmist both prayeth and prophesieth here, that the downfall of the Church’s enemies may be praeceps et praesentissimum, sad and sudden, as is elegantly set forth by these two similitudes.

return to '

But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

But let the righteous be glad — When he seeth the vengeance, Psalms 58:10 See Trapp on " Psalms 58:10 " while this wise King scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them, Proverbs 20:26 .

Let them rejoice before God — Heb. At the presence of God, from which the wicked must flee, Psalms 68:1 . See Isaiah 33:14 .

Yea, let them exceedingly rejoice — Heb. rejoice with gladness; overabound exceedingly with joy, as St Paul did, 2 Corinthians 7:4 . Joy is the just man’s portion, which the wicked may not meddle with, Hosea 9:1 .

return to '

Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

Sing unto God, sing praises — Cantate, Psallite, do it daily and duly, not in a customary, formal, bedulling way. For a help hereunto was this psalm penned, quo nihil ornatius, magnificentius, divinius denique scribi a quoquam possit, saith learned Beza, in a lofty and lively style.

Extol him that rideth upon the heavens — Exalt him so, as when a heap is made up unto a great height. Beza rendereth it, Sternite viam equiti deserti, Cast up or pave the way for him that rideth in the desert. Confer Isaiah 40:3-4 Malachi 3:1 Matthew 3:3 . The Septuagint render it, οδοποιησατε , Raise up the way, and make it ready (as they use to do before kings that ride in triumph), that the King of glory may come into your hearts, those deserts indeed.

By his name Jah — The same with Jehovah, that proper and incommunicable name of God. Some of the heathens called it Jao, as Diodorus Siculus, Macrobius, … Holy and reverend is this name, Aυταυτος , Essentiator, and it is here and elsewhere given to Christ. See it interpreted Revelation 1:4 .

return to '

father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, [is] God in his holy habitation.

A father of the fatherless, … — Pupillorum pater, et viduarum vindex, a title that God much glorieth in; and although he rideth upon the heavens, and is higher than the highest, yet so low stoopeth he to our meanness; neither will he leave his people orphans or comfortless, John 14:18 , for

God is in his holy habitation — Not in heaven only, but in and with his Church on earth; the ark and mercy seat were never sundered.

return to '

God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry [land].

God setteth the solitary in families — i.e. He blesseth them with issue. See Psalms 113:9 , and so he doth the Church, Isaiah 54:1 , in these days of the gospel especially.

He bringeth out those which are bound in chains — As he did Peter, Acts 12:7 , Paul and Silas, Acts 16:25-26 Some read it thus, He bringeth out those which are bound, in commoditates, into places where they may live commodiously and cheerfully. As on the other side,

The rebellious dwell in a dry land — In locis torridis, aridis, exsuccis et siticulosis, in dry and desert countries, where they are destitute of God’s blessing and his soul refreshing comforts. The Hebrew word signifieth a bleak or white soil, such as is all Egypt where the Nile arriveth not, viz. a whitish sand, bearing no grass, but two little weeds, of which they make glass. Where the river watereth is a black mould, so fruitful, say travellers, as they do but throw in the seed, and have four rich harvests in less than four months. Hence Egypt is called the world’s granary.

return to '

O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:

O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people — Here the former benefits of God to his people are recited, et additis miris coloribus depicta potius quam descripta, and rather depainted out in lively colours than described. We must stir up ourselves to thankfulness for what God hath done for our forefathers; neither must the memory of his mercies ever grow stale with us.

return to '

The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: [even] Sinai itself [was moved] at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

The earth shook, the heavens also dropped — Velut in sudorem soluti, as if they had been put into a sweat; in so terrible a manner was the law given, that God’s fear might fall upon us, Exodus 20:18-21 As for the gospel, it is that rain of liberalities, Psalms 68:9 , confiming God’s inheritance when it is weary.

Even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God — Some render it, a facie Dei huius Sinaici, a facie Dei, Die Israel. These two verses are taken out of Deborah’s song, Judges 5:4-5 .

return to '